they prize jokes over attacks as the candidates poke fun at themselves and each other vying for votes with only 19 days to go until the election. good evening. i'm wolf blitzer in for piers morgan. we are going to bring you all of the one-liners live, from the president and the challenger. that's coming up. let's set the stage. i want to bring in gloria borger, ralph, tonya and jim acosta, our political correspondent standing outside the waldorf in new york. set the stage for us, jim. what are we about to see? >> reporter: the alfred smith dinner here in just a few moments from now, we are told that speech will begin at 9:05. he gets to go first. the president gets to go second. as you've noted and as we've been reported, this is typically a light-hearted affair. and i did talk to a senior

romney adviser. we have been reporting all day long that the gop nominee was in debate prep for most of the day. i should report that i did hear from a senior romney adviser that said that mitt romney also worked on this speech for this evening. the jokes were serious business, you could say, earlier today when he was working on his material for later on this evening. wolf, keep in mind, i have noticed out on the campaign trail following mitt romney, the candidate does have a sense of humor. sometimes the jokes may come across unintentionally. he does have the occasion where he does intentionally tell some jokes and shares his humor. it goes over very well. we were here with mitt romney in new york city on september 25th when he spoke in front of the clinton global initiative. after bill clinton introduced him, he said he was waiting for the clinton bounce in the polls after being introduced by bill clinton. so, he does have a vast record of experience telling jokes in public settings.

and it actually going over pretty well, wolf. >> they are getting ready for all the jokes. they are getting ready for the entertainment, if you will. those are live pictures you were just seeing from inside the ballroom. let me remind you what happened four years ago when the then two presidential candidates, both senators, john mccain and barack obama, told some funny one-liners. >> this campaign needed the common touch of a working man. after all, it began so long ago with the heralded arrival of a man known to oprah winfrey as the one. being a friend and colleague of barack, i just called him, that one. >> many of you know that i got my name, barack, from my father. what you may not know is that barack is actually swahili for that one. i got my middle name from

somebody who obviously didn't ever think i would run for president. >> very funny. they are going to have some good one-liners. gloria, why do these candidates normally attend this event sponsored by the archdiocese of new york? >> i think at this point in the campaign, wolf, it is clear to them and it is also pretty clear to us that what we need is some civility, a little bit of humor. it doesn't hurt yourself as a candidate to be self-deprecating. you just saw then-candidate obama, john mccain making fun of themselves. john mccain making fun of his mistake in a presidential debate. i think voters like to see these candidates, who are always on, who are always tense, who are always competitive to show another side of themselves with a little bit of humor and i think they probably both belief believe this is good for them. >> this is one of those feel-good moments.

it comes a few days afteone of the most fiery, if not the toughest presidential debate in modern times shall we say. when people watch this live, they are going to see both candidates live here tonight. i think they are going to get a better feeling about the country. don't you agree? >> i would think so. one of the striking things about the last debate, some was the town hall setting and the fact that they could circle each other almost. people were talking about there were moments when it almost seemed like they were ready to come to blows. mitt romney's son made a slightly unfortunate joke about wanting to get in on the action himself. you had the sense from the last debate that these were two guys that don't like each other very much and don't like each other more than presidential candidates don't usually like each other. the chance to stand up and tell jokes and not with at war with each other for the night is good for both of them. >> you can see some media celebrities in that row right

behind the president. he is speaking to cardinal dolan from new york. he is going to be speaking later this evening, as well. i see chris matthews there, katie couric, marie bartoroma. you sew a lot of new york media superstars, as well as a lot of political leaders. this comes with the territory at these events. give us a little flavor. what do you think is going to happen in the course of the next hour? >> i think that ross made a very interesting point. if you remember, barack obama and john mccain actually used to be friends. they had the opportunity to work in the senate. there was some credibility to the fun we saw at the dinner. this time, not so much. i think it will be great for the country. both men will step up and give us a lighter sense of who they are and take the edge off of this campaign a bit. in real life, democrats and republicans do get along from time to time.

this will be a good opportunity to show that side and calm down the political rhetoric. >> they are going to raise money as a result of the dinner. some tables are going for $100,000. needy kids in the new york area will be the beneficiary from this excellent dinner. no the only will all of us be getting a few laughs and maybe a little bit of a good feeling about this political process. but in the process, a lot of needy kids will get some help, as well. jim acosta, you spent the day covering mitt romney today. how did he repair for this? how is he preparing to tell some jokes? >> i think they're being tight-lipped about this evening. that romney adviser did tell me he has been working on these jokes in addition to doing the debate prep. i think that goes to show you

that this is kind of an important evening. the american people are just getting a chance to get to know mitt romney. this will be a part of that process. mitt romney, to a lot of americans, was an unknown quantity before that first debate. one of the reasons we have seen him rising in the polls. they saw him as an acceptable alternative to the president, during that first debate when he did so well. i will mention one other thing about this evening. perhaps a little animosity the other night. there was a press pool report that came out a few moments ago, the press pool, the small number of journalists in the event standing by to watch this unfold in a few moments from now. in that pool report, the alfred e. smith iv, the emcee, gave a joke to kick off the night and

said there is a safe distance between the two candidates this evening. pardon the truck behind me. he pointed to cardinal dolan. they got in a good joke before the candidates took the stage. >> they have had an excellent dinner, we are told. let me just let our viewers in the united states and around the world what these 1,600 people have eaten. some poached lobster tail, rosemary-sauced rack of lamb with risotto. baby zucchini, a confit tomato and for dessert, dark chocolate tropical fruit cadeau, i don't know and petit fours. >> gloria, help me with those words. >> i took french at one point in my life. >> i think it means present. >> it does. it does. one thing i am reminded of, wolf, is how important presidential joke writers are, candidate joke writers are when you are in a high-profile situation like this. the president is always put on the spot when he has to tell

jokes before a comedian. here tonight, both candidates are in a different competition. it will be who can be more self-deprecating, who can be more gracious? at the same time, being funny. these two men, they don't like each other very much. they don't have a long history together. they don't know each other very well. john mccain and senator obama knew each other well. they fought quite a bit when they were in the senate. but did a longer-term relationship. these men see each other more when they are squaring off and talking to each other and looking at policy. honestly, there is not much of a real relationship there. >> it is interesting. if you take a look at the catholic vote, ross, i know you have studied this. gloria studied it, as well.

in the 2008 cnn exit poll, at that time, among catholic voters, we asked them, who do you vote for for president? 52% said then senator barack obama. 45% said john mccain. ross, it is shaping up a little bit different this time around. we have two vice presidential candidates who are both catholics. at the top of the ticket, one is a mormon, the other is a protestant. >> right. one issue we haven't talked about is that archbishop dolan is at the forefront of the catholic church's battle with the white house over the health and human services mandate requiring religious, institutions, hospitals and schools to cover contraception, the morning-after pill and sterilization. he is involved in a lawsuit against the department of health and human services. and he's been criticized by some catholics for extending the usual invitation to the president given the tensions between the white house and the fact that the church has argued

that the administration has been infringing on religious liberty. it is very interesting. i doubt we will be hearing many jokes about contraception from the president tonight. >> they have just introduced the former governor of massachusetts, the republican presidential nominee. there, you see him. he is now shaking hands with the emcee, alfred e. smith iv. mitt romney is going to speak. let's see what he has to say. let's see how funny this republican nominee can be. >> thank you. thank you. thank you so much. your eminence, cardinal dolan, mr. president, governor cuomo, mayor bloomberg, senator schumer, al and ann smith, thank you for your invitation. thank you for your extraordinary warm welcome.

and i appreciate your friendship very, very much, thank you. now, al, you are right. a campaign can require a lot of wardrobe changes. blue jeans in the morning perhaps, suit for a lunch fund-raiser, sport coat for dinner. but it is nice to finally relax and to wear what ann and i wear around the house. i'm glad to be able to join in this venerable tradition. of course, i'm pleased that the president is here. we were chatting pleasantly this evening, as if tuesday night never happened. i credit that, of course, to the cardinal. it has taken new york's highest spiritual authority to get us back on our best behavior. i was actually hoping the president would bring joe biden

along this evening, because he will laugh at anything. [ laughter and applause ] of course, this isn't a night for serious politics. it was especially nice to see president obama and cardinal dolan sharing, despite their differences. i'm sure the cardinal has no hard feelings. and we might get an indication of that during dinner to see if the president's wine turns into water. or for that matter, whether my water turns into wine. i'm pleased to once again have the chance to see governor cuomo, who is already being talked about for a higher office. a very impressive fellow. but he may be getting a little ahead of himself. i mean, let me get this straight. the man has put in one term as a governor, has a father who happened to be a governor and he thinks that is enough to run for president.

[ applause ] of course, we are down to the final months of the president's term. as presidents -- as president obama surveys the waldorf banquet room, with everyone in white tie and finery, you have to wonder what he is thinking. so little time. so much to redistribute. and don't be surprised if the president mentions this evening the monthly jobs report where there was a slight improvement in the numbers. he knows how to seize the moment, this president. he already has a compelling new campaign slogan. you are better off now than you were four weeks ago.

you know, with or without all the dignitaries that are here, the al smith dinner surely lives up to its billing. usually, when i get invited to gatherings like this, it is just to be the designated driver. [ laughter and applause ] your kind hospitality here tonight gives me a chance to convey me deep and long-held respect for the catholic church, have special admiration for the apostle st. peter, to whom it is said, upon this rock, i will build my church. the story is all the more inspiring when you consider that he had so many sceptics and scoffers at the time that were heard to say, if you have got a church, you didn't build that. of course, only 19 days to go until the finish line. campaign full of surprises. the debates are very exciting. just other night, we had a very

fun debate. candy crowley was there and happy to welcome us. people seemed to be very curious as to how we prepare for the debates. let me tell you what i do. first, refrain from alcohol for 65 years before the debate. second, find the biggest available strawman and then just mercilessly attack it. big bird didn't see it come. the president's remarks are brought to you by the letter "o" and the number 16 trillion. [ laughter and applause ] campaigns can be grueling, exhausting. president obama and i are each very lucky to have one person who is always in our corner, someone who we can lean on and someone who is a comforting

presence, without whom we wouldn't be able to go another day. i have my beautiful wife, ann. he has bill clinton. we got a big dose of the biden charm last week. i will tell you that. in his debate with paul ryan. i'm not sure all that carrying on had quite the effect joe intended. afterwards, i heard from the federal election commission. from now on, whenever he appears on tv there is a recording of me that says, i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. rules of fairness have to be enforced. what other safeguard do we have beside the press? now, i never suggest that the

press is biased. i recognize they have their job to do. and i have my job to do. my job is to lay out a positive vision for the future of the country. their job is to make sure no one else finds out about it. let's just say that some in the media have a certain way of looking at things. when, suddenly, i pulled ahead in some of the major polls, what was the headline? polls show obama leading from behind. and i have already seen early reports from tonight's dinner. headline, obama embraced by catholics. romney dines with rich people. of course, the president has put his own stamp on relations with

the church. there have been some awkward moments, like when the president pulled pope benedict aside to share some advice on how to deal with his critics. he said, look, holy father, whatever the problem is, just blame it on pope john paul ii. of course, the president has found a way to take the sting out of the obama care mandates for the church. from now on, they are going to be in latin. we have very fundamental and sound principles that guide both the president and me. he and i, of course, feel the pressures and tensions of a close contest. it would be easy to let a healthy competition give way to the personal and the petty. but fortunately, we don't carry the burden of disliking one another. our president has had some very

fine and gracious moments. don't tell anyone i said so. but our 44th president has many gifts and a beautiful family that would make any man proud. you can oppose -- [ applause ] in our country, you can oppose someone in politics and make a confident case against their policies without any ill-will. that's how it is for me. there is more to life than politics. at the al smith foundation and the archdiocese in new york, you show this in the work you do. in causes that run deeper than allegiance to party or any contest at the moment. no matter what way the political winds are blowing, work goes on day in and day out with this organization. and you, you answer with calm and willing hearts and in service for the poor, in care for the sick and defense in the rights of conscience and in solidarity with the innocent

child waiting to be born. you strive to bring god's love into every life. i don't presume to have all your support. on a night like this, i'm certainly not going to ask for it. you can be certain that in the great causes of compassion that you come together to embrace, that i stand proudly with you as an ally and friend. god bless you all. god bless the united states of america. thank you. >> you see them shaking hands, the president and the governor. the president of the united states is going to be introduced now. he is about to go and deliver his lines. mitt romney spoke for about ten minutes, had a few good

one-liners, got the crowd going. poked a little fun at himself. poked some fun at the president. it goes as part of the territory, as part of this dinner tonight. gloria borger is here. give us a little sense. what did you think, gloria? >> i thought he was funny. i thought by his delivery, you can tell he is not exactly a stand-up comic by profession. but i thought he delivered some great one-liners without being too rough. he poked a lot of fun at obama, not as much fun as himself, although he did talk about big bird not seeing it coming. >> hold on, gloria. >> here is the president. >> let's listen in. he is getting a standing ovation as mitt romney received, as well. >> thank you. thank you so much. thank you. everyone, please take your seats. otherwise, clint eastwood will yell at them.

thank you to al and nan, your imminence, governor, mrs. romney, governor cuomo, mayor bloomberg, senator schumer, all of the distinguished guests who are here. in less than three weeks, voters in states like ohio, virginia, and florida, will decide this incredibly important election which begs the question, what are we doing here? [ laughter and applause ] of course, new yorkers also have a big choice to make. you have to decide which one of us you want holding up traffic for the next four years. tonight, i am here with a man whose father was a popular governor and who knows what it is like to run a major northeastern state and who could

very well be president someday. and i am hoping it is andrew cuomo. [ applause ] this is the third time that governor romney and i have met recently. as some of you may have noticed, i had a lot more energy in our second debate. i felt really well-rested after the nice long nap i had in the first debate. [ laughter and applause ] although it turns out millions of americans focused in on the second debate who didn't focus in on the first debate. and i happen to be one of them. i particularly want to apologize to chris matthews. four years ago, i gave him a thrill up his leg. this time around, i gave him a stroke.

of course, there is a lot of things i learned from that experience. for example, i learned that there are worse things that can happen to you on your anniversary than forgetting to buy a gift. [ laughter and applause ] take note, gentlemen. now, win or lose, this is my last political campaign. so, i'm trying to drink it all in. unfortunately, mayor bloomberg will only let me have 16 ounces of it. that's okay. i'm still making the most of my time in the city. earlier today, i went shopping at some stores in midtown. i understand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. and it brought back some great

memories. some of you know, i went to school here in new york, had a wonderful experience here. [ applause ] used to love walking through central park, loved to go to old yankee stadium, the house that ruth built, although he really did not build that. i hope everybody is aware of that. it has been four years since i was last at the al smith dinner. and i have to admit some things have changed since then. i have heard some people say, barack, you are not as young as you used to be. where is that golden smile? where is that pep in your step? i say, settle down, joe. i'm trying to run a cabinet meeting. [ laughter and applause ]

he does smile when he says it, though. tomorrow, it's back to campaigning. i visit cities and towns across our great country. and i hear the same thing everywhere i go. honestly, with he were hoping to see michelle. i have to admit, it can be a grind. sometimes it feels like this race has dragged on forever. but paul ryan assured me that we have only been running for 2 hours and 50-something minutes. of course, the economy is on everybody's minds. the unemployment rate is at its lowest level since i took office. i don't have a joke here. i just thought it would be useful to remind everybody. the employment rate is at the lowest it has been since i took office. [ laughter and applause ] and we're getting to that time when folks are making up their minds. just other day, honey boo-boo endorsed me.

so, that's a big relief. ultimately, though, tonight is not about the disagreements governor romney and i may have. it is what we have in common, beginning with our unusual names. actually mitt is his middle name. i wish i could use my middle name. [ laughter and applause ] and even though we are enjoying ourselves tonight, we are both thinking ahead of our final debate on monday. i'm hoping that governor romney and i will have a chance to answer the question that is on the minds of millions of americans watching at home. is this happening again? why aren't they putting on "the voice"? monday's debate is a little bit different because the topic is

foreign policy. spoiler alert. we got bin laden. [ laughter and applause ] of course, world affairs are a challenge for every candidate. after -- some of you guys remember, after my foreign trip in 2008, i was attacked as a celebrity because i was so popular with our allies overseas. i have to say i'm impressed with how well governor romney has avoided that problem. just so everyone knows in our third debate, we won't spend a whole lot of time interrupting each other. we will also interrupt the moderator just to mix things up. finally, let me say that i have been doing some thinking. and i've decided that for our final debate, i'm going to go back to the strategy i used to

prepare for the first debate. i'm just kidding. i'm trying to make axlerod sweat a little bit. get him a little nervous. in all seriousness, i couldn't be more honored to be here evening. i'm honored to be with leaders of both the private and public sectors. in particular, the extraordinary work that is done by the catholic church. [ applause ] it is written in scripture that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance character and character hope. this country has fought through some very tough years together. and while we still have a lot of work ahead, we have come as far as we have mainly because the

perseverance and character of ordinary americans. it says something about who we are as a people that in the middle of a contentious election season, opposing candidates can share the same stage. people from both parties can come together. [ applause ] they can come together to support a worthy cause. i particularly want to thank governor romney for joining me because i admire him very much as a family man and a loving father. those are two titles that will always matter more than any political ones. [ applause ] so, we may have different political perspectives. but i think, in fact, i'm certain that we share the hope that the next four years will reflect the same decency and willingness to come together for a higher purpose that are on display this evening. may we all, in the words of al smith, do our full duty as

citizens. god bless you. god bless your families. may god bless the united states of america. thank you very much. [ applause ] >> there he is, the president of the united states, like mitt romney, a little self-deprecating humor and a little humor at the expense of his republican challenger. there is timothy dolan, the president of the u.s. conference of catholic bishops and the head of the archdiocese of new york that is sponsoring this al smith dinner, as they do. raising $5 million for needy kids in the new york area. let's get some quick reaction. gloria, what did you think? >> i thought he was funny. i thought he was great. self-deprecating, as was romney at points, talking about the nap he took during the first debate. made some fun of his vice president, made some fun of mitt romney. and ended up on the same note that mitt romney did, which is

talking about civility in politics, which we seem to reserve these days for events like this, sadly. and not more often. i thought both of these men did really well. they have got some good speech writers. and the president is a little bit more practiced at it than mitt romney, i would have to say. but overall, i think it was great. >> i think they were both pretty good. ross is with us as well. ross, you know what? it leaves everybody with a pretty good feeling, especially in the aftermath of that very, very bitter debate the other night. >> yeah. i mean, if we are scoring it, i guess i would say that romney maybe had the slightly better one-liners. obama did better at being self-deprecating. if i had been romney's speech writer, i might have done a few more self-deprecating jokes about romney's wealth. that never goes over badly, i think, at events like this. overall, i think they sort of played to a draw. it was not a completely politics-free event. you noticed the president

mentioning that ben laden is dead and the unemployment rate. and i thought romney's most creative joke was pope benedict blaming john paul ii for his problems. the president mentioning that george bush was president before him from time to time. but overall, it was a feel-good evening. >> he reminded the president and everybody in new york city, spoiler alert, he sid, we did get bin laden. tanya, what did you think of both these candidates? how did they do? >> i agree with the whole panel. i think they were both very funny. i am going to take issue a little bit. i think the governor's speech was really pretty pointed. i think, wolf, you said at the outset, you didn't expect either of these candidates to talk about abortion. governor romney made a very -- it was really clear he was trying to point out to this audience this was a pro-choice president who is having a battle right now with cardinal dolan over reproductive access and

freedom for women. certainly, it was not totally apolitical. we weren't expecting that. i thought romney was a little edgier. i think his version of being self-deprecating is sort of like the donald trump version of being self-deprecating. i'm only a little bit great and the other guy really kind of sucks. it was fun. >> it was fun. you left us with something to consider. let's take a quick break. we have a lot more to discuss. jim acosta standing by over at the waldorf astoria hotel as well. some of the best moments from tonight. a look ahead to monday's debate. will the good feeling that existed tonight spill over into monday? maybe, maybe not. stand by. i invest in what i know. i turned 65 last week. i'm getting married. planning a life. there are risks, sure. but, there's no reward without it. i want to be prepared for the long haul. i see a world bursting with opportunities. india, china, brazil, ishares, small-caps, large-caps,

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some in the media have a certain way of looking at things. when suddenly, i pulled ahead in some of the major polls, what was the headline? polls show obama leading from behind. and i've already seen early reports from tonight's dinner. headline, obama embraced by catholics. romney dines with rich people. >> very funny line from mitt romney at the al smith dinner in new york. back with is, gloria borger, ralph, tanya ackert. at the waldorf astoria hotel is jim acosta. jim, i thought romney delivered his lines pretty well. he is obviously not a stand-up comedian. you don't even hear him cracking a lot of jokes. tonight, i thought he did well. >> reporter: from my vantage

point, i think he did pretty well, too, wolf. this was about the best seat i could get this evening to watch the festivities. the car exhaust is making the jokes even funnier, if you don't mind me adding that. picking up on what you were talking about a few moments ago, the zingers were flying. governor romney did throw a few in the directions of the president and the vice president, perhaps a little more so than the president directed at mitt romney. i thought that was interesting. they were sort of in line with his stump speech. he talked about those jobs numbers and the president's reaction to the jobs numbers meaning that you are better off now than you were four weeks ago. he did a big bird rif and talked about how the sesame street letter for the president is "o" and the number is 16 trillion. sort of a dig at the president on the deficit. he did direct some punch lines at himself saying the way he engages in debate prep is to refrain from alcohol for 65 years. that line went over really well in this audience.

i think he did very well. it goes to show you how hypercompetitive these two candidates are. they were not about to let one one-up the other. they were coming out with their "a" game tonight. >> i want to play a little clip from the president. he had a little self-deprecating humor about his performance at that first presidential debate. >> this is the third time that governor romney and i have met recently. as some of you may have noticed, i had ai lot more energy in our second debate. i felt really well rested after the nice long nap i had in the first debate. >> a funny line. let's go back to gloria. gloria, both of these candidates, the president, the governor, they have speech writers and they also sometimes, shall with he say, outsource the writing of these jokes to seasoned professionals. >> very often they outsource.

i know they do at the white house when they have to get ready for the white house correspondents' dinner. they bring in the joke writers. and then the speech writers take another look at it. these things go through many, many hands. i think tonight, what you saw was two candidates trying to strike this balance we've been talking about, which is sort of getting in a dig at the other guy, friendly, and also getting in, being able to dig at yourself. as when mitt romney spoke about cuomo being able to run for president, he said, imagine that, having a father who was governor, being a one-term governor yourself and think you are ready to run for president, which is, of course, his biography. he could make fun of himself. he was pointed about the president and the economy and the rest of it. the president took some whacks at mitt romney and his wealth, for example. in fact, romney took some whacks at his own wealth, saying this is the kind of garb that he and

ann wear at home every night. >> he said normally during the day when i'm out to lunch, i'm wearing a business suit and tie. and it is good to show up at an event where i can wear something that i wear around the house. a tuxedo and white tie. >> don't you? >> look forward to wearing those white ties. ross, you don't even wear a tie, period. you can't relate to anything that mitt romney does. >> they wouldn't let me in tonight. the lack of a tie. >> we have to dress you up. sorry. >> well, someday. i saw if katie couric and chris matthews can be there tonight, i think all of us here tonight can dream of one day sitting behind andrew cuomo and bobby jindal eight years from now. >> they put a lot of the celebrities up on the platform there behind the speakers. that's the tradition of these dinners in new york, not only this dinner but other dinners, as well. tanya, what did you think of that one line that romney said? it was cute. it was funny. he said that the president was there at the waldorf astoria

hotel looking around. he may only have a month or so left in office. the president saying to himself, so little time, so little time to redistribute, if you will. i thought that was a cute little zinger at the president. >> look, wolf, i appreciate the president to be able to laugh at mitt romney when he is actually trying to do it on purpose. it worked out. he had a few one-liners that actually worked. they do speak to a political philosophy and economic philosophy that is very different from that of the president's. that's fair game at a dinner like this. i thought it was funny. i thought it was in good fun. i do think he was a bit edgier than the president. but you know, it's what you expect in this campaign season. it was a nice softening of the tone for half a second. >> i was very, very pleased with their summations when they both got very, very personal and they reflected on the importance of this dinner. it is not only a dinner where you make fun of yourself, make

fun of your challenger and make fun of new york a little bit. it is also a dinner where they raise $5 million for needy kids in new york. let's take a quick break. more of this coming up. >> of course, we are down to the final months of the president's term. as presidents -- as president obama surveys the waldorf banquet room with everyone in white tie and finery, you have to wonder what he is thinking. so little time, so much to redistribute. s say you want to d in your career. how do you get from here... to here? at university of phoenix we're moving career planning forward so you can start figuring that out sooner. ln fact, by thinking about where want your education to lead, while you're still in school, you might find the best route... leads somewhere you weren't even looking. let's get to work.

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almost there. whoo! yay! good work. that's a new maze record. really? i have no idea. we don't keep track of that kind of stuff. well, you should. [ male announcer ] we are insurance. ♪ we are farmers ♪ bum, ba-da-bum, bum, bum, bum ♪ i'm still making the most of my time in the city. earlier today, i went shopping at some stores in midtown. i understand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. one of president obama's good one-liners tonight. at the al smith dinner in new york. back with us gloria borger, jim acosta. the most important issues facing them right now. when it comes to women, the most

important issue, abortion, 39%. jobs, health care, the economy, equal rights, down to 19%, 18%, 16%, 15%. were you surprised by the poll? >> i was surprised by the poll, wolf. i think generally while women obviously care about the issue of abortion, the issue of contraception and a whole variety of social issues, the number one issue that we have seen in a lot of polls is the question of the economy. i think if you look at the polling of women in battleground states, it's very mixed as you go -- as you go from state to state. so, i was surprised by that. by that result. but, again, wolf, you look tonight, the battleground states new nbc poll, has iowa and wisconsin, the president up. and so, the question about the gender gap with a gender gap in the double digits in the president's favor. last week, we had gender gap

polls that showed something else. this is a race in flux. but right now, the balance with women really tilts toward president obama. >> in the gallup poll, when they asked men who were registered voters, their most important issue, very different than the women. jobs the most important for men. and the economy, 38%, 37%. budget, health care, taxes, down in the single digits. were you surprised by that? >> no, those were the numbers you would expect to see. i think the first sample suggests the obama campaign is having success in terms of energizing their base. overall, women are almost as likely as men to identify as pro life versus pro choice. isn't a huge gender gap on the

issue of abortion. the gender gap bigger on economic issues than on social issues. some of the women saying abortion matters, most are pro life voters. it is more pro choice voters probably responding to the obama campaign. they have run more ads on abortion overall or more ads on abortion than medicare. which is astonishing. there is a social issue strategy in this campaign. the question is, will this pay off? >> new ads from the campaign, tanya, stressing that romney believes there should be exceptions. may be anti abortion, but there should be exceptions for those engaged in incest or rape or the life of the mother. >> that's what he's saying now. but i think the governor has been incredibly hard frankly to pin down how he feels about choice and reproductive freedom. i want to go back to ross' point

about how most voters identify as pro-life. i think you have to get behind what that term means. i can appreciate his -- wait a minute. i can appreciate his sort of being able to speak to what issues are important to women, but the bottomline, a majority of people in this country, certainly a majority of women, believe that they, and not the state, should have the right to determine whether or not they pro create. i think that his statement may be misleading in that respect. and when we talk about why -- one minute. why this issue is important to women. it's because right now, we're facing a presidential campaign and governor romney that wants to take that right away. and this is something that the supreme court has said in casey which was the last time that roe v. wade was challenged, this is a right fundamental to women. the fact that now that somebody wants to take that off the table is pretty dangerous. and it's scary for a lot of women voters. >> just to clarify my point.

i wasn't saying the majority of women identify as pro-life. the country is evenly split, pro-life, pro-choice, on that identification and evenly split among men and among women. the other thing i'd say there, is strong public support for roe v. wade overall. mostly, people think that roe v. wade only legalized abortion in the first trimester, when it pretty much legalized it throughout pregnancy without restriction. there is strong support for restrictions in the second trimester abortions which roe v. wade makes impossible. so, yes. i'll leave it there. >> let me bring in jim acosta. "the orlando sentinal" came out with an editorial tonight, endorsing mitt romney. key area of florida. florida, florida, florida, florida. key battleground state. i'm sure romney folks will be happy about that. >> well, wolf, they'll be very happy about that, because this

is the same paper that endorsed barack obama four years ago. and for mitt romney to take that away from the president is important. a clip from the editorial i can read to you. we have little confidence that obama would be more successful managing the economy and the budget for the next four years. and for that reason, we endorsed him in 2008. we're recommending romney in this race. that is a pretty significant development in this race, because that central part of florida, wolf, as you have been saying, we've all been saying for months now, very key to the outcome of the state of florida. now, having said all of that, as flora just mentioned a few moments ago, the president is on safe ground in wisconsin, iowa, and two other battleground states. >> we'll see how safe that ground is a lot could change. a big debate coming up monday night, as all of us know and heading out on the campaign trail from new york. tomorrow, all practicing getting ready for the debate. tomorrow night, the very latest on the presidential election, right here on "piers morgan

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good evening, everyone. we begin with breaking news. a short time ago, president obama and mitt romney, spoke at the al smith dinner in new york. the event, part roast, part standup routine. both got off some good lines. let's take a look. >> a campaign can require a lot of wardrobe changes. blue jeans in the morning perhaps, suits for a lunch fund-raiser, sportcoat for